Disappointing Yes
Failure No
Failure No
ARSENAL OFFICIALLY BOTTLE IT! Arsenal fans now backtracking....2nd will be a great season for us! Surely that has to be seen as a failure??
- Thread starter RedPed
- Start date
Second would be a great season for them considering they finished 8th, 8th and 5th before it. But having lead for so long, it’s also a massive disappointment if they give it up now.
it would be hilarious if arsenal bottled it. the expression 'to make an arse of it' or 'to arse it up' would gain a nice specificity.
besides, nobody would remember city winning it by being excellent in their own right, this season would always be known as the year the gunners binned the title.
besides, nobody would remember city winning it by being excellent in their own right, this season would always be known as the year the gunners binned the title.
You could talk about them being first for most of the season and building up a decent lead and the expectations that brought but I dont think there was any point where i considered them favourites. I think a lot of the lead was built on games in hand and i always assumed city would just keep winning and overtake them. I'm kind of surprised arsenal have maintained their lead this long to be honest.
Being a draw at city short of winning the league is still punching above their weight. Being 15 points ahead of us is punching above their weight. Finishing 2nd to city cant wipe everything without exception out and be a failure, thats silly.
Being a draw at city short of winning the league is still punching above their weight. Being 15 points ahead of us is punching above their weight. Finishing 2nd to city cant wipe everything without exception out and be a failure, thats silly.
They'll win at the Etihad.
And I'm saying any feelings of disappointment are irrational and rightly ignored by club management and fans not interested in banter sessions. If you against the odds had a brilliant first half of season, and fatigue and lack of experience and a superior opponent resulted in a less than brilliant second half of the season, do you
A. Evaluate the season on the whole, taking into account expectations at the beginning of the season, or
B. Beat yourself up for having a 2nd half of the season that is less impressive than the 1st half of the season (which if extrapolated would result in one of the best seasons ever displayed in the league, a feat that no one expected of the team entering the season)?
Ignoring obnoxious Arsenal fans, leading 1st for most of the season (due to a City team many have said have underperformed) doesn't mean we retroactively give Arsenal criticism due of a team expected to win a title race for faltering later on. Well, unless bantz
Because they're not going to win any other cups whereas we've already won one and could add more
@adexkola City hasn’t even underperformed. They won the league with 87 and 91 pts in recent years, they will probably get 91/92 this season, while going deep in multiple cup competitions. It’s just the norm for a Pep team.
Just take a look at the Arsenal thread. They were posting as if they were sat on the bus parade.
If they bottle it this season, I don’t think they’ll automatically be title challengers next season. The other big teams will sort their house out for next season. I can see Arsenal returning back to challenging for 4th. This is their moment.
If they bottle it this season, I don’t think they’ll automatically be title challengers next season. The other big teams will sort their house out for next season. I can see Arsenal returning back to challenging for 4th. This is their moment.
Its a failure in the sense that if you get that far, you have to got to the end. If this went tits up in January, its one thing. But my word, you'd be gutted if you cocked it up from that position.
Even if they fall short (and I think they will), Arsenal will still have done very well to stay competitive with City into the run-In. Finishing second of itself would not have been such an impressive achievement in a season where Liverpool have collapsed, Chelsea become a circus and United just begun a major rebuilding under a new manager.
Anyone telling themselves they'd be fine with second after leading the entire season is in denial, I'd be devastated if it were us doing it.
I still have a sneaky feeling they'll win it, City can be beaten so it'll be down to Arsenal to do them at the Etihad.
I still have a sneaky feeling they'll win it, City can be beaten so it'll be down to Arsenal to do them at the Etihad.
Arsenal will be dismantled in highest fashion.
Either a red card to City or Catastrophic injury to 3 players before can change the tide of the game, but even if Arsenal get a penalty during the game (bar a 95th pen), City will still win.
In Emirates, City outclassed Arsenal in every department, Bernado Silva was Left back, LEFT BACK
Imagine us going to Emirates with Sancho as a Left Back, Cafe would be exploding and shitting on itself, then Arsenal get a dubious penalty... And we still control the game and win it comprehensively.
City are a level above Arsenal as a matchday team.
Give Pep, Champions League final in May, next month against this Arsenal team, he will bite of your hand and run with it.
KDB, Halland, Rodri, Gundugan will be turning like Cobra's in that game.
Arsenal best insulation was to win games before City game, so that even if they are beaten by City it's a fluke result physiologically to them and buffer on points were already achieved.
But now, they have not won away twice consecutively (Anfield, Westham) do you think they can win in Etihad against a formidable City?
Arsenal can still win the league but they won't win the game in Etihad.
Before the start of the season or 5-10 games in, 2nd would have been brilliant season considering where they were last season.
But with how things looked like before Liverpool game or after 30 mins vs Liverpool, to finish 2nd would be a disappointing result. They played some very good football and blew away 2 goal lead twice in two weeks.
Overall this season will be seen as brilliant progress and step in right direction.
But with how things looked like before Liverpool game or after 30 mins vs Liverpool, to finish 2nd would be a disappointing result. They played some very good football and blew away 2 goal lead twice in two weeks.
Overall this season will be seen as brilliant progress and step in right direction.
Season would still be a step forward if they finished second but surely some will have to start questioning their dreadful cup form the last 2 seasons. Yeah I know 'concentrate on the league' and all that malarkey but will be interesting to see how they do next season in the cup competitions considering they'll have champions league football.
Unless Arsenal would have a meltdown and finish 3 points or less above third placed with City putting two digit point gap with them, it has been an impressive season. I don't think it's an achievement to be in title race and lose so I am being careful to make distinction with wording here.
Other things about Liverpool, Chelsea and us is not a fair point to downplay their season. They have been so far a proper title contender. Their point projection is very good, even if you want to take away the games against struggling big clubs.
It's however still a bottlejob and sign of weakness especially recent couple games.
Fairly tough run in with Chelsea, Newcastle, City and Brighton to play. They'll drop more points. The only way they win the title is by winning at City.
2nd is pretty impressive given their points total and how close the title race is. They can legitimately say they competed for the title unlike the seasons we had under Ole / Jose.
I think it would be a good season for them, no failure. Still hope they get it over the line, mind
I’d agree. You can’t say “you only did well because the rest were shit”. They’ve played very well and more consistently for an Arsenal side who have been bottle jobs for 20 years.
To even consider this line of thinking would discredit United’s last title win and Ole’s 2nd place trophy at a meager 74 points. But who am I to call out double standards.
It's not a failure. The reality is no team can compete with City for the league, they are simply unstoppable and have been allowed to cheat their way into building a formidable team.
If they had a big go at the other cups then I'd say cut them a bit of slack even if they ultimately fell short in all four but after effectively forfeiting said other cups then you have to win the league for that choice to be validated.
I think the evaluation of what a "good season" is for a club is dynamic and changing over the course of a season. You could expect to challenge for the league but have a complete injury crisis to every top player, and in that case surviving and keeping top 4 while having respectable runs in the cups is a "good season". Likewise, in Arsenal's case they have had huge seasons from some of their younger players stepping up and have comfortably been the best team in the league for the majority of the year. To falter down the stretch with a largely healthy starting XI and no cups to concentrate on would be a big failure at this point.
This isn't some miracle run like the Leicester season, Arsenal are genuinely a top team after a few years building up to this under Arteta. Bottling it and then coping would be hilarious
It seems they sacrificed all other competitions for PL title. So yes, if they bottled PL then it is a failure.
Going all in for the league and shitting the bed is failure. Simple as that.
Because we didn't lead the league almost the entire year? We also aren't quite as good, and had significant injury issues throughout the squad for much of the year.
They can still call it "progress" but it was already progress in December. At this point it's a huge disappointment to not win the entire thing. Especially since history has shown that unless you have the depth of a squad like City, it's hard to go back and have another similar year in the league the following year. Have to take the opportunity when it presents itself
Massive failure. In a couple years no one will remember who finished second. So for all Arsenal's good results and good football this season, if they don't win the league then they have absolutely nothing to show for it, so what did they actually accomplish other than play a little better than usual.
Are you somehow under the impression the two clubs are at the same point of their projects? Pretty sure Arteta has been there for years, molding his squad and imparting his style. While we've just got EtH this season and he's still playing with 3 other managers players.
It's gonna be fecking hilarious when they bottle it. Be hilarious too next season when they're back to reality. "Great young team" my fecking hole. Bunch of fairly average players who massively overachieved, under a massively average manager.
What? There still top of the league and there's no guarantee that they'll lose to City or that City will win all of their games. Stop assuming they're finishing second. They've shown throughout the season that they're capable of playing spectacular yet effective football even having their first cf injured for a long period.
For City to win all their games it will take a record breaking winning streak which seldom happens this stage of the season.
I'm shocked how knee jerk the caf is at times.
For City to win all their games it will take a record breaking winning streak which seldom happens this stage of the season.
I'm shocked how knee jerk the caf is at times.
That's a ridiculous take. They play like a top team from defense to attack and there's no guarantee that they won't add to their already high chemistry squad next season.
I don’t think there’s ever been an example of a team with that many points failing to win 2 of their last 8 games. They play Wolves and Southampton at home. That’s about as easy a six points as it gets.
I agree, I'm saying that this has been a common saying though.
I think a lot of us have lost sight of what actual underperformance means. I had to check the table and I'm seeing Arsenal with the most wins and least defeats. How dare they not have 2 more wins.
But in a bantz environment, of course they bottled it, lack mental fortitude, and whatever cliche you can pull out of the armchair psychology bag
This is a great Arsenal side which on paper may not be all that much apart from 1 or 2 of their players but as a group are outstanding. But if they do bottle it this season the devastating psychological impact on the players, not to mention the fans as well, will be immense.
We’ve had a great season. It’s just this Man City oil state team has raised the bar to the mid 90s for a title win so it’s tough.
5th to 2nd would be a huge step up.
But when you've led the league all year and held a big lead over City, if you don't win it its a big slip.
And there's nothing to suggest they'll have this chance again.
But when you've led the league all year and held a big lead over City, if you don't win it its a big slip.
And there's nothing to suggest they'll have this chance again.
Were you also under the impression that they are ahead of us before the season started? Despite the “project” being in flow for 3 years, nobody recognised it as a project for its first two years, including and especially, posters on this forum. Arsenal have made tremendous progress this season and ultimately, better teams than them have tried and failed to achieve the title at a similar stage against City.
When you analyze the season as a whole, for a team, any team, who was 5th the previous season and hasn’t finished in the top 4 for 5 years, can take pride in challenging for the title even if they fall short.
Or they could be doing a Leicester. Everything went their way this year, they've had an incredible amount of luck and threw all the other cups for the league. It's a huge ask just to repeat the same form next year.
You do realise everyone will remember City winning it if they manage the Treble and going down as the best of the PL era and no one will remember Arsenal bottling it.
They raised the bar last season, and then added Haaland. It's why so many United fans don't care if city wins, it just means nothing. An Arsenal win would be a huge success